Article by:
Councilman Cedric Crear
Brenda J. Williams is a living model of Las Vegas history. She has been a significant trailblazer in Las Vegas, from integrating both the banking industry in 1963, as well as the workforce at the State of Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles in 1966. She was the first African-American to work in a bank, in a non-service capacity, in the State of Nevada.
Mrs. Williams and her late husband, Monroe Williams, have three children, two grandsons, and two great-grand daughters.
Mrs. Williams has a phenomenal work experience record. After 16 years of service to the State of Nevada, she retired from the Employment Security Department. In 1988, she was the Co-campaign coordinator for then Governor Richard Bryan's successful 1988 ''Bryan for U.S Senate" campaign. She also served as Senator Bryan's Constituent Services Representative for 12 years. She finalized her federal career after serving six years as the Community Resources Officer for the U.S, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mrs. Williams has the distinction of being the first black female appointed to the Las Vegas City Council as Interim City Councilwoman in Ward 5 (2007), and the first black female member of the Las Vegas Planning Commission (2019).
Mrs. Williams is the founder and president of the Westside School Alumni foundation, and she is the leading force behind the award-winning book, 'Westside School Stories: Our School, Our Community, Our Time (1923-1967)”. The Westside School Alumni Foundation played a significant role in the revitalization and renovation of the historic Westside School.
Under the auspices of the Westside School Alumni Foundation Board of Directors, Mrs. Williams directs financial subsistence and educational scholarships to the underserved youth of our community. In 2014, The Westside School Alumni Foundation established the annual Audrey E. James Educational Scholarship program.
Mrs. Williams is known as a historic preservationist. Her vision in preserving the legacy of African-Americans in Southern Nevada is further attested to her February 2019 project, "Photo Exhibit of the History of Black Firefighters in Southern Nevada", This exhibit was to pay homage to her late husband, Monroe Williams, and his colleague, James Walker who were the first two black firefighters hired by the City of Las Vegas. I had the privilege of attending the Opening in February at the Doolittle Senior Center, and it was an amazing display of history.
The City of Las Vegas applied for the prestigious All-America Cities award in 2018. The application was accepted in part due to the portion regarding the preservation of the Westside School. I had the opportunity to travel to Denver with city employees, Mrs. Williams, youth, and chosen community members to participate in a demonstration about our city and present the amazing history which makes Las Vegas an All-America City. It was an amazing experience for me as a new Councilman to celebrate as Las Vegas won the title of All-America City! Mrs. Williams' extraordinary service to the community has hardly gone unnoticed.
We recognize the amazing history and legacy of Brenda j. Williams. She represents the true spirit of a grass-root resident who loves her community. Her civic engagement and history of serving as an official in the capacity of interim Councilwoman and Planning Commissioner of Ward 5 deserve the highest accolades. Her involvement has made a profound difference to change and improve the lives of Las Vegas residents; and now,
Therefore; I ask the Mayor, members of the Las Vega City Council, and the residents of Las Vegas to join me as we do hereby proudly proclaim:
June 5, 2019, Brenda J. Williams Day in the City of Las Vegas
